Refrigerating apparatus



Sept. 1, 1936- W. L. MORRISON REFRIGEEATING APPARATUS 2 Sheet Filed Aug. 31, 1932' p 1, 1936- W. L. MORRISON 2,053,100

REFR IGERAT I NG APPARATUS File d Aug. 51, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 1, 1936 t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS .Willard L. Morrison, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Dole Valve Company, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 31, 1932, Serial No. 631,138

6 Claims. (01. 62-126) This invention relates to refrigerating appathe pipe abutting. In Fig. I have shown one ratus and has for its object to provide a new and construction where the flat pipe is wound so as to improved device of this description. The invenform a refrigerating element like the refrigerattion has as a further object to provide a refriging element 3 shown in Fig. 1; that is, it is w d crating apparatus wherein the refrigerating efso as to have a hollow interior into which the feet is produced directly from a primary refrigermaterials to be cooled may be placed, hi flat ating surface. The invention has as afurther obpipe, after it has been formed int th desired J'e t to provide a flat P y frige ating Surform, is then coated or plated with a thin coat 6a feee made p from a hollow coiled p aining of conducting material, such as tin, which fills up refrigerant. The invention has as a further 011- the connections at the points where the edges of w ject to provide a freezing unit made from a coiled the pipes abut so as to make a smooth, even, conpipe, which freezing unit has a flat refrigerating tinuous, unbroken surface on the inner and outer face. The invention has other objects which are faces of the refrigerating element. Fig. 7. sh more particularly pointed out in the accompanythis on an enlarged scale, and Fig. '6 sho h ing description. the exterior of the elements would look. 15

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view f tin i to be used, the element. a r in showing one form of refrigerator mbodying t made, may be immersed in a bath of tin, it being invention, the parts being broken away to show first treated in the ordinary way so th t; th tin the interior construction; will properly adhere thereto. In Fig. 5 I have i Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the shown only a few coils of the pipe for purposes of 20 device shown in Fig. 1, with parts broken away; illustration, in order to show how the refrigerat- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of ing element is made. The refrigerant is admitted Fig. 2; to the flat pipe by an admission pipe 4 and is dis- Fig. 4 is a front view of the refrigerating coil charged therefrom through a pipe 5. In Fig. 4 I after it; has been completed; have shown the refrigerating element 3 separate 2 Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing the method from the refrigerator. This refrigerating element in which the coil is bent to produce the refrigeratmay, if desired, have suitable shelves on the inmg plate; terior thereof and it lends itself readily to various Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the forms of shelves. I have shown, for example, the

water freezing section, with parts omitted; shelf supports as being made of angle irons 3a 30 1' F356; iFs ian gnlarged sectional view taken on line located a}: suitable intervals, and the shelves 3b Fig. 8 is a view of a portion of the device showgi lei ereon so that they are easily removing the method of bending when two coils side by This refrigerating element may also be used side are used. for the water freezing. element in a refrigerator 5 Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the made as herein shown, or a refrigerator of any several figures. other type or form. For this purpose the fiat My present invention is applicable to s r pipe is formed into a tray receiving refrigerattors of various kinds and sizes, and is also appliing element I which is coated or plated with a, cable to the water freezing units used in refrigerathin coat of metal, as hereinbefore set out which tors. I have illustrated it in the drawings as apmay be supported in the refrigerator in any plied to a mainrefrigerator and to a water refrigdesired manner and which is preferably provided crating unit therein. with tray supports 8 which support the water Referring to the drawings, I have shown a trays 9. These tray supports 8 may be angle refrigerator I, having an insulated lining 2 of any irons, as shown, or of any other form desired. suitable material. Located within the insulated The refrigerant is circulated through the relinlng is a refrigerating element 3 through which frigerating element, entering by means of the the refrigerant is circulated, the refrigerant enpipe 0 nd in di char e h h the p p tering the refrigerating element through a pipe 4 The Water freezing element 7 may be supand passing therefrom through a pipe 5. These ported in t e ef ge in any desired 50 pipes are connected to a suitable refrigerating nor, and I have Shown a Simple construction in machine, not shown. which there is attached to the top of the water The refrigerating element is made up from a, freezing element a supporting member l2 which fiat pipe 6 of square or rectangular. cross section has the lateral extensions l3 which fit on the formed into any desired shape, with the edges of inwardly projecting portions ll of a supporting 55 member l5 attached to some suitable part of the refrigerator. One form of this water freezing element I is shown in perspective in Fig. 6. If desired, the refrigerating element may be made of a plurality of flat pipes formed into the desired shape. In Fig. 8 I have shown a form wherein there are two separate flat pipes l6 and I! placed side by side and bent so as to form a hollow metal receiving refrigerating element similar to that shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6.

It will be seen that by means of this construction I am enabled to form a refrigerating element which will have flat, smooth refrigerating surfaces which are primary refrigerating surfaces, that is the refrigerating surface being the surface of the pipe through which the refrigerant is circulated. I have found that with a flat, smooth refrigerating surface of this type, whatever frost accumulates is easily and quickly removed, for if the device is heated for a short time it slides off, whereas with a construction with a roughened surface or with coils the removal of the frosting requires a long time. This fiat surfaced refrigerating element is of an exceedingly high efficiency, because the refrigerating surface is the primary refrigerating surface, being the flat surface of the coil through which the refrigerant is circulated. This continuous, flat primary refrigerating surfaced refrigerating element has advantages in addition to its high refrigerating efficiency. It is of course evident that the coating may be omitted if desired. In that event the element would have a surface like that shown in Fig. 5.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

When the coils are properly shaped into the refrigerating element and placed in the refrigerator, or when they are shaped into a freezing element, the refrigerant is circulated through the coils and the primary refrigerating surface then acts upon the material in the refrigerator. When the coils are used as a water freezing element, the refrigerant is circulated therethrough and the receptacles containing the water are placed in position so that the water will be frozen by the action of the primary refrigerating surface of the refrigerating element.

The outer and inner surfaces are both refrigerating surfaces. I have found, for example, that in an ordinary refrigerator it is only necessary to use the ice refrigerating element '1. The inner refrigerating surface freezes the water, and the outer refrigerating surface cools the interior of the refrigerator as it does not require a. freezing temperature. In an ordinary refrigerator, therefore, the refrigerating element 3 would be omitted and only the refrigerating element 1 used.

Referring to Fig. '7, for purposes of illustration I have shown the coating 61; as of a thickness to be easily visible, but it is of course evident that this coating would be very thin and that this thickness in Fig. 7 is exaggerated for purposes of illustration.

I claim:

1. An air contacting refrigerating element comprising a flat faced pipe bent toforrn a coil with the edges of the pipe abutting, the fiat faces of the adjacent portions of the pipe being in substantially the same plane so as to form a fiat faced refrigerating element with a flat primary refrigerating surface with which the air comes in contact, the material to be cooled being placed in vessels separate from the refrigerating element.

2. A refrigerating element comprising a flat.

faced pipe bent to form a coil with the edges of the pipe abutting, the flat faces ,of the adjacent portions of the pipe being in substantially the same plane so as to form a flat faced refrigerating element with a flat primary refrigerating surface to which the material to be acted upon is exposed, the refrigerating surface of the coil being covered with a thin coating of conducting material so as to form a continuous unbroken refrigerating surface across the several sections of the pipe. 7

3. A refrigerating element comprising an insulating casing, a flat faced pipe within said insulating casing bent to form a coil with the edges of the pipe abutting, the flat faces of the adjacent portions of the pipe being in substantially the same plane so as to form a flat faced refrigerating element with a fiat primary refrigerating surface to which the material to be acted upon is exposed, the coil formed by said pipe being of a rectangular shape, having flat, smooth vertical sides to prevent ice from accumulating thereon.

4. A refrigerating element comprising a flat faced pipe bent to form a coil with the edges of the pipe abutting, the flat faces of the adjacent portions of the pipe being in substantially the same plane so as to form a flat faced refrigerating element with a primary refrigerating surface to which the material to be acted upon is exposed, there being two inner opposed flat continuous surfaces with supports on the opposed inner cooling faces of said surfaces, and water receptacles slidably carried by said supports.

5. An air contacting refrigerating element comprising a fiat faced pipe bent to form a coil with the edges of the pipe abutting, the flat faces of the adjacent portions of the pipe being in substantially the same plane so as to form a flat faced refrigerating element with a primary refrigerating surface with which the air comes in contact, the material to be cooled being placed in vessels separate from the refrigerating element, a thin coating of heat conducting material on the refrigerating surface of the coil and extending across the points where the edges of the pipe abut so as to form a continuous refrigerating surface.

6. A refrigerating element comprising a flat faced pipe bent to form a coil with the edges of the pipe abutting, the flat faces of adjacent portions of the pipe being substantially in the same plane, said coil formed into a continuous enclosing device having a top, bottom and two sides with a receiving space between them, opposed supports directly connected with the pipe on the opposed inner cooling faces thereof and project'- ing inwardly therefrom, and removable devices interposed between the opposed supports and carried by said supports.

WILLARD L. MORRISON. 

